Connected railway switch and signal



(No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 1. M. WUERPEL. GONNEGTBD RAILWAY SWITCH AND SIGNAL.

No. 450,548. Patented Apr. 14, 1891.

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CONNECTED RAILWAY SWITCH AND SIGNAL.

No. 450,548. Patented Apr. 14, 17891.

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GONNEGTED RAILWAY SWITCH AND SIGNAL. No. 450,548. Patented Apr. 14,1891.

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(No Model.) v I '5 Sheet-Sheet 5. M. WUERPEL. CONNECTED RAILWAY SWITCH-AND SIGNAL. No. 450,548. i 2 Patented Apr. 14,1891.

- UNITED STAT-Es PATENT OFFICE};

MORRIS WUERPEL, on sT. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Lettersjlatent No. 450,548, dated April 14, I891. Application filed May 20, 1889. $eria1 No. 311,375, (No model.)

To all whom/ it mag concern: Be it known that I, MORRIS IVUERPEL, of the city of St. Louis, in the State of Missouri,

, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Connected Railway Switches and Signals, of which the following is a full,

clear, and exact description, reference being I had to the accompanying drawings, forming one line being open when that of the otheris closed and the signals of both lines being at danger, except when the switch of one line is closed. Then the act of locking the switch in closed position throws the signal or signals of that line to safety.

Figure I is a perspective view showing the railroad crossing. Fig. II is a perspective View of one of the signals. view of the derailing device. Fig. IV is an elevation of a signal, showing position of safety in full lines and position of damger in broken lines. Fig. V is an elevation of the sheaves carrying the rods connecting the switch-stand with the derailing-switches and signals. Fig. VI is a side elevation of above sheaves. Fig. VII is a front elevation of-the switch-stand and its immediate connections. Fig. VIII is a top view of the switch-stand, the lever being shown in one of its locking positions in full lines and in the other locking position in broken lines. The intermediate position of the lever is also indicated by broken lines. Figs. IX and X are horizontal sections at IX. X, Fig. VII, showing the switch-crank and connections in opposite positions. Figs. XI and XII are diagram views illustrating the relative positions of the signals and derailing-switch.

1 and 2 are two lines of railroad crossing each other, and each having signals shown at 3 and 4, respectively, and derailing-switches at 5 and 6. The system requires one line to have the right of way for the time being, and any train at such time approaching on the crossing-line will be derailed if not brought to a stand before reaching the crossing, the

Fig. III is a plan T signals always indicating danger on the line which has not the right of way.

At 7 is a switch-stand which is common to both lines, and by which all the signals and switches are operated simultaneously. The stand is in some respects similar to that described and claimed in my application for patent filed April 10, 1889, under Serial No. 306,666. In this a single lever is used to turn the switch-shaft and has a toothed quadrant, which, when the lever is turned to either of its extreme positions, engages a cog rack-bar, by which a signal is operated on the vertical movement of the lever.

The line-rails are shown at 8. A part of one of the line-rai1s consists of a switchrail 9, hinged at 10 to the main rail and having a tapering point 11, formed by beveling one side, so that the bevel fits the outwardly-bent part 12, which is a continuation of the linerail when the switch is closed, as seen in Fig. III. In this case the switch-point is in direct line with the main rail and forms part of the main track. IVhen the point is thrown away from. the main rail, as seen in broken lines in Fig. III, a wheel striking the point will be thrown outward and derailed, the wheel on the opposite end of the same axle being drawn from the continuous rail at the other side of the track.

13 is a bar, to which the switch-rail is cor.- nected near the point.

14 is a bell-crank connected to the bar 13 by a rod 15.-

16 is a long rod or tube connecting one arm 17 of the bell-crank with'a similar be ll-crank 14, through which the other switch of the same line is operated, the two switches being equidistant from the crossing, so that from whichever direction a train may be coming on the line having no right of way the train will be derailed if not stopped before reaching the switch. The rod 16 is hinged at 18 to the crank-arm 19 of the vertical shaft 20 of the switclnstand. The crank-arm 19 is connected by a rod 21 with one arm 22 of a bellcrank 23. The other arm 24: of this bell-crank is hinged to a rod 16, similar to the rod 16, and connected to the operative bell-cranks 14: of the switches of the crossing-line 2. The

construction is such that the switches of one line open as those of the other line close. The rods 16 and 16 work against anti-friction rollers or sheaves to prevent the swaying or bending of the rod.

The shaft 20 oftheswiteh-stand has secured to it a lever composed of two parts 26 and 27, the part 26 being fixed to the shaft and the part 27 connected to the part 26 by a joint 28, so that the part 27 maybe moved through about one-fourth of a circle in a vertical plane. The part 27 moves, as the lever is thrown around in a horizontal plane, over a plate or table 29. The table has notches at in its margin, into which the part 27 enters as it is bent down, and thus the shaft 20 is locked in position. The pintle of the hinge 28 is set so far to the rear of the periphery of the table 29 that the part- 27 cannot be bent down except when over one of the notches 30. The inner end of the part-or arm 27 is slotted to fit the outer end of the part 20.

31 are toothed quadrants upon the forked end of the arm 27, the teeth or cogs 32 of the quad-rants engagingthe teeth of verticallysliding bars 34, so that as the arm 27 is lifted. the rack-bar 34; is depressed, and vice versa. The rack-bars are hinged at the lower ends to the horizontal arms of bell-cranks 36. The vertical arm 37 of the bell-crank upon the left of the stand is hinged at 38 directly to the signal-rod 39, one of whose ends is hinged to the vertical arm 40 of a bell-crank 1 41, having bearing on a signal-post 42. The horizontal arm 43 of the bell-crank a1 is connected by a rod 44 to a signal arm or plate 45, which is pivoted to the post at to, so that the longer :end et7 of the signal will move upward and downward with the rod 44.

The signal in its upper position, as seen in full lines in Fig.1I, indicates danger, while in its lower position, as seen in broken lines in thesame figure, Fsafety isindicated. The shorter end of the signal carries two plates or lenses of colored glass, the lower plate t8 being green and the upper plate 49 being red. Behind the end carrying the colored plates is a lantern having a lens of about the same area as the plate 48 or 49, and in such a position that said plates will be brought in line with the lens of the lantern as the signal is turned on its pivot, as seen in full lines in Fig. II, the red plate 19 being in line with the lantern orlampand-indicating danger, or, in other words, that the derailing-switches upon the line to which the signal belongs are open. The other signal 3 of the same line is upon the opposite side of the line, and the end of the rod or pipe 39 is connected with this signal by means of a bell-crank 50 and rod 51, the rod 39 being pivoted to one arm of the bell-crank and the other arm of the bellcrank being connected by the rod 51 to the arm 40 of a bell-crank similar to the bellcrank 41. The construction and arrangement is such that both of the signals 3 are moved at the same time and both to indicate danger or safety, as the casegnay be. The vertical arm 37 of the bell-crank 36 upon the right of the stand is connected by a rod 52 to the arm 53 ofa horizontal bell-crank lever 54, whose other arm 55 is hinged at 38 to a rod 39, running to the signals of line 2, and operating thereon in the same manner as the rod in case of the same parts as described in connection with line 1 and the rod 39.

The operation of the apparatus is as follows: Supposing the switches and signals to be in the position shown in Figs. VII, VIII, IX, and XIthatis to say, with the switches 6 of line 2 closed and the signals 4 to safety and the switches 5 of line 1 open and the signals 3 to danger, and the switch-stand lever 26 27 locked in the right-hand notch 30 of the table 29. In changing the position of the parts the arm 27 of the switch-stand lever is first lifted. This acts upon the rod 39 by the quadrant 31, rack-bar 34, bell 'crank 36, red 52, and bell-crank 54, and changes the two signals to danger. This movement of'the rod .59 is indicated by single-headed arrows in Fig. XI. The signals are now all at danger. The next movement is to swing the lever 26 27 from right to left, which opens the switches 6 of line 2 and closes the switches 5 of line 1 by means of therods 16 and 16 and the described connections. -This movement of the rods is shown by the doubleheaded arrows in Fig. XI. The signals are still all at danger. The next movement is to swing down the arm 27 into the left-hand notch 30, which changes the signals 3 of line 1 to safety. This is done by means of the rod 39 and its connections. The movement is indicated by the triple-headed arrows in Fig. XI. The position of parts at the close of the first movement is indicated by broken lines in Fig. IX. The position of parts at the close of the third movement is shown in full lines in Fig. X, while the other position of the coupling 38 is indicated by broken lines in Fig. X.

The single, double, and triple headed arrows indicate, respectively, the three movements in again reversing the position of the parts.

A stand similar to the one herein shown and described is also shown and describedin my patent No. 432,106, issued July 15, 1890.

I claim as my invention-- 1. The combination of railway-tracks 1 and 2 crossing each other, s gnals 3 and t and switches 5 and 6 on the tracks, and a signalswitch stand with a shaft 20 connected with all the switches, and a lever on the shaft having a jointed arm connected with all the signals, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

The crossing railway-tracks 1 and 2, each track having signals at a distance from the crossing and upon both sides of the crossing, and a derailing-switch between the signal ITS and crossing upon every side, in combination from the signals and connected to said bellci'anks, a rod extending from the switches of one line and connected with said crank-arm, a rod extending from the switches of the other 5 line, and a bell-crank connecting the lastnamed rod with said crank-arm, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination of crossing ailwaytracks 1 and 2, the switches 5 and 6, signals 10 3 and 4, reds 16 16 39 39-,aswitch-stand hav- MORRIS WUERPEL. In presence of SAML. KNIGHT, THOMAS KNIGHT. 

